The Little, Brown Handbook

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The most trusted and authoritative name in handbooks, The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises is an easy-to-use reference that will answer any question you may have in grammar, writing, or research. It also includes exercises so you can practice skills. This edition offers the latest information on writing with computers, writing online, analyzing visuals, and researching effectively on the Internet. With clear explanations, a wealth of examples, and quick reference checklists and boxes, The Little, Brown Compact Handbook will makes it easy to find what you need and use the information you find. Will answer any question a writer has about grammar, the writing process, or research. The writing process, critical thinking, argumentative writing, style, grammar, mechanics, usage, the research process, how to document sources. Anyone who wants a reliable writing reference book.

Preface for Students: Using This Book

iii

Preface for Instructors

vii

PART 1 The Writing Process

1

(126)

1 Assessing the Writing Situation

2

(14)

a Understanding how writing happens

2

(2)

b Analyzing the writing situation

4

(2)

c Discovering and limiting a subject

6

(3)

d Considering the audience

9

(4)

e Defining a purpose

13

(3)

2 Developing and Shaping Ideas

16

(28)

a. Discovering ideas

16

(11)

b Developing a thesis

27

(5)

c Organizing ideas

32

(12)

SAMPLE ESSAY

42

(2)

3 Drafting and Revising

44

(26)

a Writing the first draft

45

(3)

b Revising the first draft

48

(6)

c Examining a sample revision

54

(4)

d Editing the revised draft

58

(4)

e Preparing and proofreading the final draft

62

(1)

f EXAMINING A FINAL DRAFT

63

(3)

g Giving and receiving comments

66

(3)

h Preparing a writing portfolio

69

(1)

4 Writing and Revising Paragraphs

70

(41)

a Maintaining paragraph unity

72

(5)

b Achieving paragraph coherence

77

(13)

c Developing the paragraph

90

(12)

d Writing special kinds of paragraphs

102

(7)

e Linking paragraphs in the essay

109

(2)

5 Designing Documents

111

(16)

a Designing academic papers and other documents

111

(1)

b Considering principles of design

112

(4)

c Using the elements of design

116

(4)

d Using illustrations

120

(5)

e Considering readers with disabilities

125

(2)

PART 2 Reading and Writing in College

127

(104)

6 Writing in Academic Situations

128

(607)

a Becoming an academic writer

128

(1)

b Analyzing audience

129

(1)

c Determining purpose

130

(1)

d Choosing structure and content

131

(1)

e Using academic language

132

(603)

7 Studying Effectively and Taking Exams

735

a Managing your time

135

(2)

b Listening and taking notes in class

137

(1)

c Reading for comprehension

138

(4)

d Preparing for and taking exams

142

(8)

SAMPLE ESSAY EXAMS

147

(3)

8 Forming a Critical Perspective

150

(29)

a Thinking and reading critically

151

(13)

b Viewing images critically

164

(8)

c Writing critically

172

(7)

SAMPLE CRITIQUE OF A TEXT

173

(2)

SAMPLE CRITIQUE OF AN IMAGE

175

(4)

9 Reading Arguments Critically

179

(20)

a Recognizing the elements of argument

179

(1)

b Testing claims

180

(3)

c Weighing evidence

183

(4)

d Discovering assumptions

187

(1)

e Watching language, hearing tone

188

(1)

f Judging reasonableness

189

(3)

g Recognizing fallacies

192

(7)

10 Writing an Argument

199

(20)

a Finding a subject

199

(1)

b Conceiving a thesis statement

200

(1)

c Analyzing your purpose and your audience

201

(1)

d Using reason

202

(5)

e Using evidence

207

(1)

f Reaching your readers

208

(4)

g Organizing your argument

212

(1)

h Revising your argument

213

(1)

i EXAMINING A SAMPLE ARGUMENT

214

(5)

11 Reading and Using Visual Arguments

219

(12)

a Reading visual arguments critically

219

(6)

b Using visual arguments effectively

225

(6)

PART 3 Grammatical Sentences

231

(102)

12 Understanding Sentence Grammar

232

(35)

a Understanding the basic sentence

233

(9)

b Expanding the basic sentence with single words

242

(2)

c Expanding the basic sentence with word groups

244

(14)

d Compounding words, phrases, and clauses

258

(5)

e Changing the usual word order

263

(2)

f Classifying sentences

265

(2)

13 Case of Nouns and Pronouns

267

(8)

a Compound subjects and complements

268

(1)

b Compound objects

269

(1)

c We or us with a noun

270

(1)

d Appositives

270

(1)

e Pronoun after than or as in a comparison

271

(1)

f Subjects and objects of infinitives

271

(1)

g Who vs. whom

271

(3)

h Case before a gerund

274

(1)

14 Verbs

275

(30)

Verb Forms

275

(17)

a Regular and irregular verbs

278

(3)

b Sit and set; lie and lay; rise and raise

281

(1)

c Omitted -s and -ed endings

282

(1)

d Helping verbs

283

(5)

e Verb plus gerund or infinitive

288

(3)

f Verb plus particle

291

(1)

Tense

292

(7)

g Appropriate tense for meaning

294

(2)

h Sequence of tenses

296

(3)

Mood

299

(3)

i Subjunctive verb forms

300

(2)

Voice

302

(3)

j Active vs. passive voice

303

(2)

15 Agreement

305

(14)

a Agreement between subject and verb

305

(8)

bAgreement between pronoun and antecedent

313

(6)

16 Adjectives and Adverbs

319

(14)

a Adjectives only with nouns and pronouns

320

(1)

b Adjectives after linking verbs

320

(1)

c Adjectives with objects; adverbs with verbs

321

(1)

d Comparative and superlative forms

322

(2)

e Double negatives

324

(1)

f Overuse of nouns as modifiers

325

(1)

g Present and past participles as adjectives

325

(1)

h A, an, the, and other determiners

326

(7)

PART 4 Clear Sentences

333

(50)

17 Sentence Fragments

334

(8)

a Tests for sentence completeness; revision of fragments

334

(4)

b Subordinate clause

338

(1)

c Verbal or prepositional phrase

338

(1)

d Other fragments

339

(2)

e Acceptable uses of incomplete sentences

341

(1)

18 Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

342

(8)

Comma Splices

344

(4)

a clauses not joined by coordinating conjunction

344

(2)

b Main clauses related by a conjunctive adverb or transitional expression

346

(2)

Fused Sentences

348

(2)

c Main clauses with no conjunction or punctuation

348

(2)

19 Pronoun Reference

350

(7)

a Clear reference to one antecedent

350

(2)

b Clear placement of pronoun and antecedent

352

(1)

c Reference to specific antecedent

353

(1)

d Indefinite use of it and they

354

(1)

e Indefinite use of you

354

(1)

f Clear use of it

355

(1)

g Appropriate use of relative pronouns

355

(2)

20 Shifts

357

(7)

a Person and number

358

(1)

b Tense and mood

359

(2)

c Subject and voice

361

(1)

d Indirect and direct quotations and questions

362

(2)

21 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

364

(10)

Misplaced Modifiers

364

(6)

a Clear placement of modifiers

364

(1)

b Limiting modifiers

365

(1)

c Squinting modifiers

366

(1)

d Separation of subjects, verbs, and objects

367

(1)

e Separation of parts of infinitives or verb phrases

367

(1)

f Position of adverbs

368

(1)

g Order of adjectives

369

(1)

Dangling Modifiers

370

(4)

h Dangling modifiers

370

(4)

22 Mixed and Incomplete Sentences

374

(9)

Mixed Sentences

374

(4)

a Mixed grammar

374

(2)

b Mixed meaning (faulty predication)

376

(2)

Incomplete Sentences

378

(6)

c Compound constructions

378

(1)

d Comparisons

379

(1)

e Careless omissions

380

(3)

PART 5 Effective Sentences

383

(40)

23 Emphasizing Ideas

384

(10)

a Using subjects and verbs effectively

384

(2)

b Using sentence beginnings and endings

386

(3)

c Arranging parallel elements effectively

389

(1)

d Repeating ideas

390

(1)

e Separating ideas

391

(1)

f Being concise

392

(2)

24 Using Coordination and Subordination

394

(11)

a Coordinaing to relate equal ideas

395

(3)

b Subordinating to distinguish main ideas

398

(5)

c Choosing clear connectors

403

(2)

25 Using Parallelism

405

(67)

a Using parallelism for coordinate elements

406

(4)

b Using parallelism to increase coherence

410

(62)

26 Achieving Variety

472

a Varying sentence length and structure

413

(2)

b Varying sentence beginnings

415

(3)

c Inverting the normal word order

418

(1)

d Mixing types of sentences

418

(5)

PART 6 Punctuation

423

(66)

Chart

424

(2)

27 End Punctuation

426

(4)

a The period

426

(1)

b The question mark

427

(1)

c The exclamation point

428

(2)

28 The Comma

430

(22)

a Main clauses linked by coordinating conjunction

432

(1)

b Introductory elements

433

(2)

c Nonessential elements

435

(5)

d Absolute phrases

440

(1)

e Phrases expressing contrast

441

(1)

f Series and coordinate adjectives

441

(2)

g Dates, addresses, place names, long numbers

443

(1)

h With quotations

444

(3)

i To prevent misreading

447

(1)

j Misuse and overuse

448

(4)

29 The Semicolon

452

(9)

a Main clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction

452

(3)

b Main clauses related by a conjunctive adverb or transitional expression

455

(2)

c Long or internally punctuated main clauses

457

(1)

d Long or internally punctuated series items

457

(1)

e Misuse and overuse

458

(3)

30 The Apostrophe

461

(7)

a Posessive case

461

(3)

b Misuse with noun plurals, verbs, and personal pronouns

464

(1)

c Contractions

465

(2)

d Plurals of abbreviations, dates, and words or characters named as words